Joshua 8:1 Then the Lord said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. For I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land."
I love this verse. God speaks in the future tense, "I have delivered", before it actually happens. So often I believe God has gone ahead of me and done the thing He plans to do. All I have to do is go. This is so hard though. It is hard to go when we can't see the outcome. Of course, this is where faith comes in. I have to seek the faith from God that He is carrying out His plan and that in my going I will see His faithfulness, His providence, and His sovereignty. Easier said than done. In my experience, after each time I go when He tells me and I see the fruit of His action with my faith, it becomes easier to go the next time. Oh, there are still moments where my faith is weak and I have to pray for a strengthening of that, and God is faithful. Faith is a journey. We grow with each going.
Monday, May 21, 2018
Friday, May 18, 2018
Patience Is Fruit of the Spirit
This week's reflection comes out of a week of seeing God's faithfulness to His promises come to fruition. For the most part, I feel like I am an impatient person. This is something God has worked on in my over the years, after all, patience is fruit of the Spirit. In my most recent promises from God, He spent 5 years for one and 3 years for another to bring them to completion. I'm learning to watch for the details along the path that reiterate God's promise. There are moments when I see His handiwork and recognize that He is on the move. It isn't easy to wait. As a matter of fact, it's really hard. I've been seeking the very next point on my timeline, so to speak. I've been asking God each day to show me what is the very next step I need to take, rather than looking down the line and trying to get to the finish as quickly as possible. There has been invaluable experience in the slow movement of God. I see Him working out details that I would never have thought to want or realized that I needed. When God seems slow, I've learned to watch carefully for Him in the seemingly mundane and recognize those moments that you know only God could have orchestrated. It's been an interesting week, but a good one. The promise is being fulfilled and the Lord's faithfulness has not failed. Spiritual fruit comes in the midst of a great journey, rarely on the fast track.
Thursday, May 17, 2018
Become Uncomfortable
Daniel 9:3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
In looking to the 70 years of desolation for the nation, this was Daniel's response. What is it that you are pleading to God right now? How are you going about it? Daniel humbled himself before the Lord and made himself uncomfortable in order that he could call on God in a very particular way. This isn't an easy task. Petitioning God for something is not simple. We want to ask Him for what we need, but we always seem to fall short of asking for the actual need we have. What would our experience be if we were to humble ourselves like Daniel and become uncomfortable in our prayer? How might that change our perspective and our intercession to God? Remembering that we can come to the throne in freedom and confidence that God will do something on our behalf and remaining humble in our plea, ah, that is the difficulty of prayer indeed!
In looking to the 70 years of desolation for the nation, this was Daniel's response. What is it that you are pleading to God right now? How are you going about it? Daniel humbled himself before the Lord and made himself uncomfortable in order that he could call on God in a very particular way. This isn't an easy task. Petitioning God for something is not simple. We want to ask Him for what we need, but we always seem to fall short of asking for the actual need we have. What would our experience be if we were to humble ourselves like Daniel and become uncomfortable in our prayer? How might that change our perspective and our intercession to God? Remembering that we can come to the throne in freedom and confidence that God will do something on our behalf and remaining humble in our plea, ah, that is the difficulty of prayer indeed!
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
Unmatched By Human Effort
1 Timothy 1:13-14 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Two thoughts about this one. What was I like before I met Jesus? I don't feel like I have an awesome testimony where I could talk about how lost I was and how Jesus turned my life in a completely new direction, like Paul here, for instance. I was brought up with the knowledge of Jesus from my earliest memories. However, I know what my heart and mind were like before I met Him, and I am so very thankful for the way God has transformed my heart and renewed my mind in Christ. Sometimes I get so busy thinking ahead that I forget to take a look back just to thank God for His mercy and faithfulness along my journey. I want to forge ahead and move with such great speed, that I don't take the time to consider the foundation and growth in Jesus that got me here. I am also reminded, as I read this passage, that people can and do change, or rather that God changes people. When I find myself frustrated with the behavior of others, I am challenged by verses like this to pray for God to bring those people near to Him and change their hearts, instead of grumping and wishing/praying ill will on them. The grace of God is unmatched by any human effort. If we can accept it for ourselves and pray it on others, we will experience a very different world.
Two thoughts about this one. What was I like before I met Jesus? I don't feel like I have an awesome testimony where I could talk about how lost I was and how Jesus turned my life in a completely new direction, like Paul here, for instance. I was brought up with the knowledge of Jesus from my earliest memories. However, I know what my heart and mind were like before I met Him, and I am so very thankful for the way God has transformed my heart and renewed my mind in Christ. Sometimes I get so busy thinking ahead that I forget to take a look back just to thank God for His mercy and faithfulness along my journey. I want to forge ahead and move with such great speed, that I don't take the time to consider the foundation and growth in Jesus that got me here. I am also reminded, as I read this passage, that people can and do change, or rather that God changes people. When I find myself frustrated with the behavior of others, I am challenged by verses like this to pray for God to bring those people near to Him and change their hearts, instead of grumping and wishing/praying ill will on them. The grace of God is unmatched by any human effort. If we can accept it for ourselves and pray it on others, we will experience a very different world.
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Freedom and Confidence
Ephesians 3:12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
I read this verse today and it really stood out to me. I'm not sure why I have never noticed it before since the verses following this are some of my all time favorites. We have so much to be thankful for in the person of Jesus Christ. We have been given the forgiveness of sin through him, the gift of transformational grace through him, and the hope of eternal life through him just to list a few. I don't know that we, being post crucifixion and resurrection can truly understand the incredible words of Ephesians 3:12. The Jewish nation would read these words very differently than we do. I think we might take our reconciled relationship with God for granted at times, unintentionally maybe even. Jesus has closed the chasm that sin created between us and we are now able to speak to God with freedom and confidence. We no longer have to be ceremonially cleansed or be a particular type of priest or rabbi to be in the presence of God and speak to Him. We are able to go to the Throne of Grace anytime we have great need or praise. This is because of Jesus. His finished work of the cross has given us a freedom that we can't completely grasp in our 21st century life. Take advantage of this opportunity today by asking Jesus into your life and every day you can speak to God personally.
I read this verse today and it really stood out to me. I'm not sure why I have never noticed it before since the verses following this are some of my all time favorites. We have so much to be thankful for in the person of Jesus Christ. We have been given the forgiveness of sin through him, the gift of transformational grace through him, and the hope of eternal life through him just to list a few. I don't know that we, being post crucifixion and resurrection can truly understand the incredible words of Ephesians 3:12. The Jewish nation would read these words very differently than we do. I think we might take our reconciled relationship with God for granted at times, unintentionally maybe even. Jesus has closed the chasm that sin created between us and we are now able to speak to God with freedom and confidence. We no longer have to be ceremonially cleansed or be a particular type of priest or rabbi to be in the presence of God and speak to Him. We are able to go to the Throne of Grace anytime we have great need or praise. This is because of Jesus. His finished work of the cross has given us a freedom that we can't completely grasp in our 21st century life. Take advantage of this opportunity today by asking Jesus into your life and every day you can speak to God personally.
Monday, May 14, 2018
Empathy Goes Both Ways
Ecclesiastes 3:4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
I'm drawn to this verse the day after Mother's Day. There were many posts about the fact that we need to be careful about how we go about Mother's Day, making sure to be careful and empathetic toward those who don't have moms anymore, who want to be moms but can't, who don't have great moms, and so on. I agree with this. It is wise to think of all aspects of life in all situations and not just blindly/selfishly go about life. I'm going to go down this road though, so hang with me on this until the end. For everything there is a season. There is a season for sadness. Some days sadness is going to overtake you, and it should. Embrace sadness and shed tears, instead of avoiding the celebration altogether. Tears are not a sign of weakness. They are an outpouring of healing love. We want to run from hurt and keep sorrow and suffering at a bare minimum. We tell others to 'consider my suffering and my pain'. Well yeah, but if you're the one who's sad, go there a bit. If we embrace the sadness, let the tears fall when they may, and accept the season of sorrow, then we will come out stronger on the other side. We won't be hurt by the joy of others when we do not feel it personally. We will rejoice with those who rejoice and cry with those who cry. Empathy goes both ways. 😊 We will truly live out the verse above. When we walk through our sorrow, rather than trying to avoid it, that is where we find Jesus. We are met with a grace from God that is only found in the valleys, in the dark night of the soul. Once we experience the light of Christ in our darkest hour, we will discover that we do not need to fear the valley. David knew this when he wrote the 23rd Psalm, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." Amen! We have got to stop avoiding pain and sorrow or we will never find nearness of Jesus. We will never experience true blessing until we are in great need.
I'm drawn to this verse the day after Mother's Day. There were many posts about the fact that we need to be careful about how we go about Mother's Day, making sure to be careful and empathetic toward those who don't have moms anymore, who want to be moms but can't, who don't have great moms, and so on. I agree with this. It is wise to think of all aspects of life in all situations and not just blindly/selfishly go about life. I'm going to go down this road though, so hang with me on this until the end. For everything there is a season. There is a season for sadness. Some days sadness is going to overtake you, and it should. Embrace sadness and shed tears, instead of avoiding the celebration altogether. Tears are not a sign of weakness. They are an outpouring of healing love. We want to run from hurt and keep sorrow and suffering at a bare minimum. We tell others to 'consider my suffering and my pain'. Well yeah, but if you're the one who's sad, go there a bit. If we embrace the sadness, let the tears fall when they may, and accept the season of sorrow, then we will come out stronger on the other side. We won't be hurt by the joy of others when we do not feel it personally. We will rejoice with those who rejoice and cry with those who cry. Empathy goes both ways. 😊 We will truly live out the verse above. When we walk through our sorrow, rather than trying to avoid it, that is where we find Jesus. We are met with a grace from God that is only found in the valleys, in the dark night of the soul. Once we experience the light of Christ in our darkest hour, we will discover that we do not need to fear the valley. David knew this when he wrote the 23rd Psalm, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." Amen! We have got to stop avoiding pain and sorrow or we will never find nearness of Jesus. We will never experience true blessing until we are in great need.
Friday, May 11, 2018
I'm Embarrassed
I'm going to use Friday as a reflection post. I hope you don't mind.
Why is it that we are so slow to sit down and be with God? What is our trepidation in spending time with Him? Are we afraid of what He will ask of us? Are we unsure of what to do with Him? I think for each of us the questions that keep us from this time with God are as unique as we are. We may pull the classic excuse routine with "I don't have time." or "What good would it do anyway?". But the reality, as I have come to learn over the last four months, is that once I consistently started to spend time with God, I now cannot stand to miss it. I dread days when I know I will have something to do during my typical time I sit with Him because I know I will not have time anywhere else in the day. And what is sad is that what got me to this point is that I was somewhat forced to make time with God because all of my excuses were gone. I didn't have a job to take up my time. I don't have kids to run everywhere. My house was clean. My errands were run. My laundry was done. I was well rested. All I had left was to spend time with God. I'm embarrassed that this is what it took for me to spend consistent, meaningful time with Him, but it is. And now, I cannot function without it. My days are rocky at best when I miss my morning time with my Lord. It's a great place to be, in the presence of my Lord, and I've come to seek Him daily. I just wish it wouldn't have taken me so long, nor taken such a harsh circumstance, to get me here. Thanks be to God for He is the reason I have a relationship with Him.
Why is it that we are so slow to sit down and be with God? What is our trepidation in spending time with Him? Are we afraid of what He will ask of us? Are we unsure of what to do with Him? I think for each of us the questions that keep us from this time with God are as unique as we are. We may pull the classic excuse routine with "I don't have time." or "What good would it do anyway?". But the reality, as I have come to learn over the last four months, is that once I consistently started to spend time with God, I now cannot stand to miss it. I dread days when I know I will have something to do during my typical time I sit with Him because I know I will not have time anywhere else in the day. And what is sad is that what got me to this point is that I was somewhat forced to make time with God because all of my excuses were gone. I didn't have a job to take up my time. I don't have kids to run everywhere. My house was clean. My errands were run. My laundry was done. I was well rested. All I had left was to spend time with God. I'm embarrassed that this is what it took for me to spend consistent, meaningful time with Him, but it is. And now, I cannot function without it. My days are rocky at best when I miss my morning time with my Lord. It's a great place to be, in the presence of my Lord, and I've come to seek Him daily. I just wish it wouldn't have taken me so long, nor taken such a harsh circumstance, to get me here. Thanks be to God for He is the reason I have a relationship with Him.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)